Having Conqueror's Haki would be normal. In fact, it would probably be strange not to have it.
Luffy exhaled heavily, releasing cold mist, and clenched his fist, which was now coated in jet-black Armament Haki.
At that moment, his mind was clear of all distractions:
Aokiji Kuzan. Logia Hie Hie no Mi user. The Marine's highest combat power. Admiral. None of these titles and identities mattered now.
So what if he was one of the strongest in the world?
Afraid?
There was nothing to fear!
If you cowered before powerful enemies on these vast, perilous seas, you would only die faster.
From East Blue to here, Luffy's faith had never wavered.
Besides, according to Aokiji himself, this guy used to train with Garp in the Marines.
So what did that make him?
A senior disciple?
And wasn't this situation the perfect test?
Luffy was desperate to measure exactly how much stronger he had become after such brutal training!
Hand over Robin?
Absolutely impossible!
There was nothing left to discuss.
'Then let's fight!'
WHOOSH!
The giant fist tore through the air, creating a suffocating wind, and descended like a black mountain towards Aokiji!
This strike!
Luffy held nothing back. Full power!
"How terrifying." For the first time, surprise was barely concealed on Aokiji's face. "Your Armament Haki has already reached the level of flowing emission?!"
The accumulation. The transformation. The development of his Devil Fruit. And in such a short time?
Facing this mountain-crushing blow, Aokiji could not afford to be careless. He crossed his arms in an upward block, coating them in equally potent Armament Haki. At the same time, freezing mist condensed on his arms, forming two even larger ice fists to meet Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Giant Pistol.
"Ice Fist! "
The moment the fists collided, it was as if two icebergs had crashed together. A deafening roar accompanied this, accompanied by a visible ring of airwaves spreading wildly and shattering the already frozen ground around them.
The shockwave even rocked the Going Merry in the distance.
The ice beneath Aokiji's feet cracked like a spider's web, but his towering frame stood firm as a reef.
After all, he had undergone Garp's hellish training himself, day and night, tempering his body in a nearly masochistic way until he could punch through decommissioned ironclad warships.
His physical prowess and combat skill were unparalleled among all Marine Admirals.
Luffy's strike failed. He stomped the air, creating a sonic boom, and used the recoil to propel himself higher.
He took a deep breath, pulling his massive fist back even further and channelling all his strength and Haki into it. Darkness swirled around his knuckles.
'Gomu Gomu no... Hakkoku!" "
A massive shadow fell over the ground.
A condensed black and red torrent bore down on Aokiji.
When facing an enemy like this, you can't afford to hold anything back.
"A giant's technique? You even learned that?" Despite his extensive travels, Aokiji recognised the familiar stance and the terrifying pressure. He couldn't help but marvel again.
Luffy's overall strength, especially in terms of his Devil Fruit development and Haki application, had absolutely crossed the threshold of a true powerhouse in these seas.
In terms of raw Haki intensity and mastery, Luffy might still fall short of a master like Aokiji, who had devoted decades to this pursuit.
But did that mean he couldn't win?
No!
Battle is never just a comparison of statistics.
If it were, ordinary pirates would surrender the moment they encountered an Emperor or Admiral. So why do the positions of Yonko and Admiral still change hands? Why had even the Pirate King fallen?
Beyond raw power, will, belief, tactics and even a flash of inspiration, it was these things that decided victory in battle.
BOOOOOOM!
The Hakkoku punch was both fast and fierce. It arrived almost the instant Aokiji had finished blocking the first heavy punch.
The terrifying shockwave engulfed his entire position. The thick ice covering the ground shattered like fragile glass and was crushed to dust!
Ice shards, mixed with dirt and grass roots, shot skyward, forming a massive crater.
At the centre of the crater, Aokiji exhaled, misting the air with ice crystals. A thick layer of frost covered him. His feet had completely merged with the newly formed ice beneath him and were constantly releasing cold to maintain the stability of his domain.
He was a Hie Hie no Mi user. In an environment of pure ice, he could draw on greater power and recover faster.
His arms still maintained their upward blocking stance. An emitted barrier of Armament Haki had absorbed the Hakkoku shock's core power. But his expression was no longer relaxed and composed.
"Your Haki reserves are monstrous. How?" Kuzan asked heavily, a trace of disbelief in his tone.
After continuous use of such large-scale Haki emission techniques, Luffy was only slightly winded—nowhere near exhaustion.
If Luffy were in his prime like him—thirty or forty, at the peak of body and experience—possessing such immense Haki might be understandable.
But a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old kid, with Haki's total capacity and recovery speed rivaling his own?
How were the rest of them, who had trained for twenty or thirty years more, supposed to feel? Like they'd wasted their lives?
"Guess?" Luffy grinned, though the smile was somewhat fierce, carrying a savage edge.
I trained while you walked. I trained while you ate. I trained even while you slept. I fought life-or-death battles in my dreams. I never stopped!
Only he knew how much he had been wronged.
But the potential and gains extracted through that devilish training and planning—only he knew that too.
Besides, despite his youth, under Garp's iron fists of love, he had already been the most severe Marine soldier training under Garp's fists.
If he were in the Marines, he'd already be a ten-year veteran.
***
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